Bed Sheets
by Sariasprincy
Summary: In the middle of the night, all Itachi can do is think. But his thoughts are ones Sakura doesn't even want to know. Within the Messages verse. AU. Rated for sexual themes. ItaSaku.


Hey everyone, this is a verse based off Within the Messages. Sorry this is so late. I couldn't think of anything that I could find an ending to. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! **It is rated for sexual themes!**

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**Bed Sheets**

Itachi turned his gaze downwards and loosened his grip slightly on the waist of the woman he had his arm wrapped around as she shifted in her sleep. He watched as Sakura settled herself more fully against him, causing her bare breasts to press firmly against his unclothed chest. She sighed softly as she readjusted her head on his shoulder, spilling her pink locks onto the pillow next to her, and entangled her milky, smooth legs with his.

From this new angle, he could see the bright red love bite he left on her throat from their earlier activities. It made him smirk, but it quickly faded when he remembered she had given him a matching one on his shoulder. Itachi could still recall her victorious grin as she pulled back, proud at her work. Of course, that look had been wiped off her face the moment he thrust two fingers into her, making her forget all about what she had done.

As Itachi gazed down at her now, he couldn't help but notice how content her expression was, the complete opposite to earlier when he had her squirming and moaning under him in pleasure. The picture of her face flushed and contorted in ecstasy as she climaxed was still clear in his mind even as the hours passed from when it had happened. It was hard for him to forget; she was so beautiful, in mind, body, and soul.

As to how he had managed to get a woman as amazing as her, he had no idea, but now that he had her, he had no intention of ever letting her go. Sakura meant so much to him. Sometimes the stress of being such a powerful man had him willing to quit just to get away from it all, but she was always there. Her smile and comforting words always gave him the will to pull through it all because she believed in him; she believed he could do it and that was enough to give him the strength and peace of mind to keep going.

A sudden shiver from his lover caught his attention, bringing his mind back to the present. It took him a moment to realize she had moved earlier because she was cold. The sheets had fallen from her back, letting a cool draft hit her. Her whole back was covered in goose bumps.

Carefully Itachi picked his hand up from her waist and grabbed the covers, pulling them more fully over her body. The motion caused Sakura to stir before she slowly opened her eyes. Emerald orbs started at nothing in particular a moment as she blinked her eyes into focus before her gaze drifted upwards to meet his own. "Itachi?" she asked, her voice still husky from sleep and all her earlier screaming. "Why are you awake?"

Itachi tightened his grip on her slightly. "I am thinking."

She stared at him blankly. "Thinking?" Then she snorted. "Do you have to think right now?" She pushed away from him slightly so she could use her elbows as support to hold herself up. In this new position, her arms covered her breasts but gave her a large amount of cleavage that didn't go unnoticed by Itachi.

"I am always thinking, Sakura," he said quietly, turning his gaze back to her face.

Sakura glowered slightly. "We finally have a day off together tomorrow and I don't want you falling asleep because you decided you wanted to stay up all night _thinking_."

Itachi reached up and ran his fingers through her slightly tangled locks, letting his palm come to rest on her cheek. Sakura briefly closed her eyes, resting her head in his hand before she sighed lightly and crawled back into his arms again.

"Honestly, Itachi, go to sleep," Sakura murmured before she fell still.

He wasn't sure how long they laid in silence. The calm, restful breathing of Sakura filled his ears, but he knew well enough that her breaths weren't deep enough for her to be asleep. It wasn't long before she shifted to place her hand on his stomach to trace his abs lightly. Absentmindedly his own thumb started rubbing small circles on her hip, slowly moving downwards until he found the small indent in her skin where her scar was. A second later, his other hand found the unnatural dip on her throat. They were the matching reminders of Hyuuga's attack eight months ago.

His mind still couldn't understand why Sakura had risked her life so willingly to protect him all those months ago. He knew there was a connection between them back then, but it didn't seem strong enough for her to willingly risk her life like she had. He supposed it could be as deep as she just had a large, warm heart and was willing to protect those around her with her life or as simple as her old field reflexes kicked in and she was acting on instinct. To this day, he still was not sure.

"What are you thinking about?" Sakura asked quietly.

Itachi looked down at her, but her head was still resting on his shoulder, looking down as she continued her aimless tracing.

"Things of the past," he murmured into her hair.

Sakura's fingers froze as she glanced up and peeked at him through her eyelashes. "Hyuuga?" she asked softly.

He nodded in confirmation. Then he fell still as he contemplated his earlier thoughts.

Sakura seemed to sense his wonder for she upturned her face and looked him directly in the eye. "Something is bothering you," Sakura stated gently.

Itachi didn't make any movement to show she was right other than the tightening on her waist. "I still do not understand why."

Sakura's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why?"

Usually Itachi was fairly impatient when it came to explaining his thoughts, Shisui and Sasuke had quickly learned that and somehow managed to read his mind, but with Sakura he felt willing to take all the time in the world to explain to her, she meant that much to him.

Gently he ran his long fingers through her hair before he spoke. "Why did you risk your life to save me from Hyuuga?"

Unexpectedly Sakura pulled away from him to sit up. It didn't escape his attention that she purposely kept her back turned so he couldn't see her face. Instead his onyx eyes focused on her smooth back, tracing the beautiful ridges of her spine with his eyes before it gave way into a soft dip until his eyes finally landed on the dimples just above her hips that his hands found every time he held her by the waist.

"At the time," Sakura began quietly, "I didn't know why I did it."

That answer surprised him.

"After Hyuuga's trial, I believed that I did it because I was so scared of losing you. You mean a lot to many people and your loss would be felt by more than just myself," she continued softly. "I thought the reason was because everyone needed you – I needed you – and if you died…I wouldn't be able to live knowing I could have stopped it in some way."

Slowly Itachi sat up and hooked his arm around his bent knee to support himself. He watched as she shifted slightly so her face was completely turned away from him, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking at the moment.

"But that wasn't my original thought," Sakura admitted. "After you had taken me home, after we had dinner that night, I gave myself the idea that you were just buying me dinner as a 'thank you' of sorts." Her shoulders shook softly as she relived that night. "I thought the only reason I had done what I did was because it would be less of a loss if I died."

As her shoulders shook again, Itachi realized she was thinking about something he hadn't thought of before. There was more to this question than he had originally thought.

"After all," Sakura continued, "what's a life like mine compared to one like yours? You have parents and siblings and close relatives and co-workers that care about you. What do I have?" She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself protectively. "My parents are dead, I'm an only child, and the only relative I know of is living in some rural place in America. Believe me, if I died, it wouldn't matter-."

"Sakura," Itachi interrupted. He placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her back until she rested against his chest. He wrapped one arm around her chest and the other on her waist so it was impossible for her to pull away. "Do not believe for one second that your life is less important than anyone else's. Do you understand?"

"But I-."

"Do you understand?" Itachi asked again, his voice firmer.

He waited until she nodded before Itachi laid them back down on the bed. He had never felt so relieved that they had sex earlier and were rid of their clothing; he just wanted to feel her against him, skin-to-skin, so he could feel her warmth and reassure her how very important she was to him.

"I am sorry," Itachi murmured into her hair. "I did not mean to upset you."

Sakura turned so she could bury her face in his neck. She shook her head before she laughed hollowly. "This is all my fault. I'm just too damn emotional all the time."

Itachi chuckled slightly, his deep voice echoing warmly in her ears. His sudden amusement made Sakura look up in confusion, but he quickly rolled over and pinned his smaller lover to the bed. Almost immediately Sakura scowled at their new position. Didn't she say earlier they should get some sleep?

"I personally like your emotional side," Itachi practically purred in her ear.

Even in the dark, he could see the light dusting of a blush on her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. "You weren't thinking about Hyuuga before I woke up, were you?" she asked, her eyes darting to the bite mark on his shoulder.

Itachi smirked, his own eyes tracing her throat down to the red mark against her pale skin. "Not even close," Itachi replied.

Sakura swallowed. "Do I dare ask what you were thinking about?"

His smirk widened as uncertainty flashed across her eyes. "I was recalling our night together."

At this Sakura turned bright red, but Itachi continued. "The way you moaned under me as I touched you," he said huskily before his mouth attached itself to the same spot on her throat as before. "The expression you made as I hilted myself into you again and again." His lips trailed hotly up the side of her neck until they hovered just above her own lips. "How you screamed my name as you came."

"Itachi," Sakura groaned in embarrassment, her face bright red now.

She tried to cover her face in her hands, but Itachi was still pinning her wrists next to her head. His smirk widened before he finally captured her lips with his own. Immediately Sakura responded by moving her lips against his. When he nipped at her bottom lip, she gasped giving him full access into her mouth which he took advantage of by slipping his tongue inside her hot cavern. Sakura moaned at the sensation.

"Itachi-," Sakura gasped out as he slanted his mouth more fully against hers.

Slowly he pulled back to find his lover red in the face from embarrassment and annoyance. Nonetheless his lips curved into a playful smile.

"I was being serious about getting back to sleep," she said firmly. "I do not want to just have sex all night and sleep the day away. I want us to actually spend time together tomorrow."

"We are spending time together," Itachi countered lazily.

Sakura glared. "Away from bed."

His smirk widened. "Are you suggesting you want to have sex elsewhere?"

The poor woman groaned out in exasperation and purposely turned her back on her lover. "Good night, Itachi."

A small chuckled escaped his lips. "I was merely stating that-."

"Good night, Itachi," Sakura said forcefully, hoping he would get the hint.

Of course Itachi had gotten the hint the very second she had implied it, but that wasn't going to stop him from teasing his lover. He always thought she was absolutely adorable when he rubbed her the wrong way and she got annoyed at him. The way her eyes narrowed in annoyance and the small crease in her forehead only added to her beauty. Plus he loved the rare occasions when she would hit him – never too hard – and immediately apologize and try to warm up to him the moment her temper settled.

She was a very rare find and he had no intention of ever letting her leave he decided as he laid back down next to the small woman in his bed and pulled her smooth back against his chest. She tensed at the sudden movement, but immediately relaxed as his arm came to rest around her waist.

"You are most adorable when angered," Itachi whispered into her hair.

Sakura snorted lightly. "Glad to know I attract you in _some_ way."

It wasn't long before another smirk made its way onto his face. "I can show you just how many ways you attract me, _Sakura_," he purred as his grip tightened.

"Good night, Itachi!"


End file.
